March Madness – Pool Edition

The best part of March? The NCAA college basketball tournament! This year the fun starts on March 16th, so we’re here to help you get a jump on planning your March Madness party – with more than one kind of pool.

Invitations

There are a number of ways to watch the tournament, so getting the invitation out early will help the planning and partying process go more smoothly. With paper invitations, the options are endless. You can create a basketball-shaped or jersey-shaped invite – immediately letting your guests know what kind of party you’re hosting. Make your party feel unique and exclusive and print “ticket” invitations that look like sporting event tickets. Why not kill two birds with one stone? Send out game brackets as your party invitations. Have the guests fill out the brackets before they arrive at the party, so you will be able to start the fun off with a basketball pool. Want to save some trees and some green? Websites like Paperless Post and Minted have options for free email invitations and you can even track RSVP’s. Be sure to tell your guests to bring towels for the other pool.

Decor

Orange and black are neutral basketball colors to use when decorating for your March Madness party. If your guests will all be cheering for the same team, by all means, decorate accordingly. To give your backyard pool area a basketball-themed touch, team jerseys and hats can be hung against a fence or doorway. Pom poms and whistles will also add to the spectator feel. The weather in March in Texas tends to be pretty mild, so if you can, bring your TV outside and grab those folding chairs to give your guests a court-side view.

Games

Since you’re hosting a pool party, be sure to heat up your pool and hot tub in advance – low gas prices mean less costly heating!

You can tie a side game of the tournament bracket pool into your real pool. The first person whose team loses has to “walk the plank.”

Using an in-pool basketball goal, see how many shots in a row your guests can make from all different angles. Feature different prizes for a range of feats – most shots made, farthest sunk shot, hardest shot, best dunk…be imaginative!

An in-pool basket ball game! Take the friendly competition into your backyard pool.

Food

Feeding your party can be like feeding a team – here are some tips and recipes to make sure you have enough for this game-hungry crowd.

Concession Stand – Want your guests to feel like they’re at the tournament? Easy, set up a table outside with all their favorite sports food – popcorn, nachos, hot dogs, burgers, and assorted candy bars are always crowd pleasers. Plus, self-service means you get to relax and enjoy the party.

Basketball cake pops

For a healthier crowd – you can buy a basket of clementines and draw the lines of a basketball on them